Hanger for electrical trolley



Feb. 25, 1958 A. B. TAYLOR 2,824,913

HANGER FOR ELECTRICAL TROLLEY Filed Jan. 5, 1954 INVENTOR; dfid/Zfljfhi'BY M 77M HANGER FOR ELECTRICAL TROLLEY Ashton B. Taylor, Pittsburgh, Pa.Application January 5, 1954, Serial No. 402,205

1 Claim. (Cl. 191-43) This invention relates to hangers for electricaltrolleys and more particularly to hangers which are used to supportrelatively stiff bus bars which form the trolley and with which acollector shoe cooperates.

-In trolley systems to which the present invention is directed, theoverhead trolley consists of relatively rigid bus bars, the bars are insections arranged in end-to-end relationship to form a track of thedesired length, and it is essential that these sections be rigidlysupported in alignment at various points throughout'the length of thetrolley.

It is also desirable that the hangers for such bus bar sections be ofsimple construction which may be quickly and easily installed byunskilled labor in order to reduce installation costs.

Likewise, it is advantageous to provide such hangers which consist of aminimum number of parts to facilitate assembly, and which are sodesigned that they can be installed only in proper relation to the busbar, thereby eliminating loss of time in fitting the parts in properposition.

An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a hangerwhich will rigidly support sections of bus bar constituting the trolleytrack in alignment with each other.

Another object is to provide a hanger comprising a minimum number ofparts which can only be installed in proper relation to the bus barsections and which, by its simplicity, may be cheaply manufactured andeasily and quickly installed.

A further object is to provide a hanger comprising clamp members whichengage opposite sides of the bus bar sections, the members being ofidentical shape, so as to reduce manufacturing costs, together withmeans for properly centering said clamping members relative to the busbar sections.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent as the descriptionproceeds, it being understood that the illustrated embodiment is of thepreferred form but that changes and modifications may be resorted to solong as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings, forming part hereof, and in which likenumerals designate like parts throughout the views,

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the hanger at the beginning of theinstallation operation, the cooperating bus bar and its shield beingshown in section,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but with the hanger completelyinstalled and supporting the bus bar, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevation of Fig. 2, parts thereof beingbroken away more clearly to illustrate the construction.

In the drawing, the electrical bus bar is shaped as shown in section inFigs. 1 and 2 and consists of converging arms 11 and 12 forming aV-shaped trough 13 therebetween for cooperatiou with conductor blocksforming l ce parts of an expansion joint as shown and described in myapplication Serial No. 396,924, filed December 8, 1953. However, thetrough 13 is not essential in the present construction, so long as thebus bar is provided with converging surfaces 14 and 15 at opposite sidesthereof.

lzxtending horizontally on opposite sides of the bus bar are wings m and17 at the point of convergence of the surfaces 14 and 15 to tormcollector shoe contacting faces 15 and i9, and the bus bar is furtherprovided with a no 20 pro ecting beyond the plane or the races 18 and 19intermediate the wings 16 and 17 as shown in the aforesaid application.

An insulating shield 21 encloses the bus bar sections throughout thelength of the trolley track and is provideo with nexibie extensions 24and 23 which overlap at 24 to form an enclosure for a collector shoe,the extensions spreading apart as the shoe travels along the track, asis well understood. 1he upper portion ot the smeld 21 is shaped toconform to the diverging surfaces 14 and 15 and to the upper races orthe wings in and 1/, so that the hanger useu to support the bus bar Wllllikewise clamp the shield to the bus bar.

"the bus nar sections 10 are supported from any suitable support such asA: provided with an opening tnerethrough for the reception or a bolt 26provided with an enlarged head 27 at its lower end. the threaded shankof the bolt pro ects through the support 45 and is supported thereby bymeans of nut 27' threaded on the shank and bearing on a spring washer 28engaging the upper Iace of the su port, so that as the nut 21' is turnedthe head 2'7 or the bolt is moved toward or away from the support 25.

Engaging the bus bar sections 10 on opposite sides thereof areinsulating clamps 29 and 30 which are shown as being substantiallyL-shaped in cross section and comprise leg portions 31 and 5A and toeportions 33 and 34.

The leg portions 31 and 32 are provided with inner faces 35 and 36 whichconverge toward each other when fully assembled and mate with theconverging surfaces 14 and 15 on the bus bar and the toe portions areprovided on their inner surfaces with cut away portions 37 and 38 which,when the hanger is completely installed, cooperate to form a sockettherebetween for the reception of the bolt head 27 as shown in Fig. 2.

'lhe walls of the cut away portions 37 and 38 snugly embrace the bolthead 27 and are so formed that they engage said head and prevent itsturning relative to the clamps 29 and 30 as the nut 27' is operated.

'lhe toe portions are likewise provided with semi-circular recesses, oneof which is shown at 39 in Fig. 3 so that the toe portions encircle theshank of the bolt 26 and engage each other as at 40.

inc outer faces of the toe portions are oppositely bevelled at 41 and 42to facilitate assembly, as will clearly appear as the operation ofinstallation is described.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the toe portions 33 and 34 lie between thesupport 25 and the head 27 of the bolt 26, and,

when the hanger is fully installed, the toe portions are rigidly clampedbetween the bolt head and support, with the leg portions 29 and 30rigidly clamping the bus bar and shield in position.

interposed between the support 25 and the clamps 29 and 34 is aspring-retaining clip 43 comprising a web 44 having an opening thereinthrough which the bolt 26 passes and having at its opposite endsdepending spring arms 45 and 46 provided with return bends forming legs47 and 48 which bear against the outer faces of the clamps 29 and 30.

As seen in Fig. 1, the legs 47 and 48 converge toward each other anddiverge from the arms 45 and 46. However, as the bolt head is moved int?clamping position as the 'bu s bar therbe tween and with 111E toe porti.l V w 2,324,91s

v seen in i ligg 2 the resilient le gs 47 an'd 48 are forced to-' wardthe arms 45 and 16 so that they are placed under.

compression, and the clamps 29 and 30 are retained in clamps 2'9'Fand'30areispread apart fo the recept and 34lyingbtween theb olt Eea d i' T and'th' supper The bevels 41 and 42;permitinsertionpfi tlieetangps as i es' erein thes leg p oigtion s oi "the V V f 7 V shown with their endsengaging at tor for m fulcrum pointsfandfwith tli sprin g'leg's Z7 andtheir'eipanded condition engaging tlie'clamps. I o Y As tlie bdlt' headmoves to clampingpgsitiqn 't engages the 'toe pjoitionssof-the clampsand 'roclgs them a ut the ful'cmmpomhts until they engage the s upport vH At the same time, the leg portions 31 and-32 a e swu-ng tobus barisffilr'm'l y' elamped'betweenjhe legs 65th; clagips. I When thelampsiand'3i0 roclc about the point {w it is '7 (Wolfe fhfihe a tfiwte 1 h? lisi l' 3 2 are moved against the expanding force oftli'espring legs 47 pward e'achiother and, with the bus bafithrbtwjeeng the I and '48 tocompress the sarfiegthere'by centering the clamping fiiemb'ersandretainingthe same in pqs ition. f H

Ffdfft thef'rgo'irig, it'isapparent that tlie pre sent inventidnproyides'a simplef'inexpe ns iye, and readily in-' stalled hanger for bus bartrolley systerns It is'composed of fe'v'vjaart's which are so designedthat they must beinstalled in mpart-"elation and mie so'intalledhavejlbfig f V life, practicaliy'iio need for maintainariceyandresult in an l 1 m= a V Khanger for'busibars comprising a busbar, a support, a pair of inverted L-shaped clamps one engaging eachside of said busbar, said clamps 'comprising'opposed'toe portions lyingbetween the bustbar and supportand leg portions "extending along thesides of the bus bar, an

7 operatingmember for clampingthe toe portions, against it said supportand forcing"tli"e"lg portions against the opposite fiaces ofthe bighar,jsaidiwperatiifgfiifiziher passing between said toe tween saidclamps andthesfippoit,saidfilip having projecting resilient arms atopposjte endsiproyided with return heads providing converging res entlegs engaging the outer faces ofisaid ol ainpiiig members, said legsbeing under compression when the clamps engage'the support.

011s and a springelip lying be-.-

